Residents of Novosibirsk have shared their earliest childhood memories, which range from infancy to kindergarten, encompassing a wide array of experiences and emotions. Clinical psychologist Yulia Derevyaga explains that the ability to recall early childhood depends on the environment in which the child grew up, particularly the responsiveness of the parents and the absence of traumatic events.

Many memories are associated with sensory experiences. One reader, SS, vividly remembers being an infant with hands wrapped in swaddling clothes and a cat named Vas’ka persistently sniffing his face. Marina Fedorova recalls the first snow, while another user remembers a porthole, and Vera Valeryevna recalls learning to walk with a pillow to cushion her falls.

Other memories revolve around family and social interactions. Anastasia recalls feeling resentment at age two because her parents bought her a “nasty seated stroller” instead of a reclining one. Svetlana, 54, remembers a mischievous incident at age four when she and her brother stuffed sunflower seeds up their noses, requiring medical intervention. Nadezhda Andreevna, 73, recalls singing a song about heartbreak at age three when her brother was born and the time a cow ate her bathrobe.

Some memories involve specific events or locations. Anastasia remembers falling into a fountain in Pervomaisky Square at age three. Kseniya Sergeevna recalls a holiday at the “Snow White” kindergarten and a disappointing tricycle she couldn’t pedal. Anna was struck by the beauty of the square in front of the Novosibirsk-Glavny railway station with its tulip flowerbeds around 1975. Vovka remembers the long, gray entrance of his apartment building after kindergarten.

Not all memories are pleasant. Vladislav remembers being approached by a strange man at his mother’s workplace, leaving him scared and confused. A reader with the nickname SV remembers his father forcing him to walk barefoot on hot stones. Alena recalls being scared by a clown at the circus at the age of 1.2 years.

These diverse and personal recollections offer a glimpse into the formative experiences that shape our lives and the enduring power of childhood memories.